Track type tractors require recoil mechanisms for maintaining the track in a taut position yet providing sufficient resilience to recoil under heavy shock loads. Such recoil mechanisms must oftentimes be replaced in the field and thus must be capable of being handled by field tools.
With larger machines, the recoil mechanism utilizes extremely large heavy springs which can become very dangerous to handle. For this reason, it is desirable that such springs be provided with means for loading the springs to their preloaded condition in the field or means for mounting them in the loaded condition.
Still another problem exists with track undercarriages for excavator-type vehicles. Such tracks are very low in profile and thus do not provide much space for the recoil mechanism. It is therefore desirable that such mechanism be confined to as compact a space as possible.
The prior art is exemplified by the following list of U.S. patent Nos.
RE. 24,126 issued Mar. 6, 1956 to Henderson
No. 2,683,064 issued July 6, 1954 to Land
No. 2,717,813 issued Sept. 13, 1955 to Gardner
No. 2,887,342 issued May 19, 1959 to Helso, Sr.
No. 3,332,725 issued July 25, 1967 to Rhinesma
No. 3,409,335 issued Nov. 5, 1968 to Piepho et al
None of these patents suggests a satisfactory solution to the problem presented herein.